Mulled wine walk

Today was the annual mulled wine walk from Beeston Green, to and across the Sandhills and into Sandy for lunch at the China Express. The walkers gathered at the home of Ros and Max Hill who kindly laid on some superb mulled wine to kick start the days event off.

The group then divided into two fractions, those keen to walk at a faster pace and cover a slightly longer route, while the other half were content for the slower pace and a slightly shorter trip.

The first group, led by Roger Cope, set off along the Baulk, into Sandy and up into the Sandhills, across Hawkesbury Meadow and finally into Brickhill Road to head into Sandy.

It was a lovely bright sunny day, after the heavy overnight frost everywhere looked a picture coated in frost. The warm sunshine was sufficient to stimulate many birds into spring song. These included, song thrush, great and blue tit.

En-route, Roger Cope was able to point out Ivy-leaved toadflax, growing in the wall above the wear at the bridge crossing the Riddy. Although, it is supposed to flower between May and September, one could see already it was in flower, due to the mild weather. He also identified for the only Bedfordshire site for Navelwort.

Navelwort (c John Day)

Common gorse was also seen in flower today (c John Day)

Each of the groups eventually met up again at the China Express where they were provided with a splendid buffet meal consisting of sesame prawns on toast, seaweed and vegetarian spring rolls as an appetiser, followed by sweet and sour pork, chicken and green beans, with noodles and egg fried rice.